Philip Glass: String Quartet No.2 'Company': String Quartet: Instrumental Work

Mishima String Quartet (String Quartet No.3) originally appeared as parts of the film score for Mishima by film maker Paul Schrader. The film follows a complex narrative structure which divides the life of thisfamous contemporary Janpaeses novelist into 3 parts - his childhood his mature years and the last day of his life. These subjects were intercut to produce a shifting kaleidoscopic vision of Mishima's life. The scenes of hischildhood were filmed in black and white and scored for String Quartet. An excellent contemporary string quartet by the innovative Philip Glass.

The second string quartet by Philip Glass is a lyrical almost romantic piece with strong prominant melodies and deceptively simplistic arrangement that reflects his pioneering minimal compositions. The piece began life as a scorefor Mabou Mines the New York theater company that counted him as 'unofficial' composer for almost three decades and the name comes from the Samuel Beckett play Company.